Twenty
by dsolo
Summary: I realized that my timing may be off on some of these, so this is various characters in their early 20s. I own nothing. Janet Evanovich is the genius behind Stephanie Plum and company.
1. Ranger

**Twenty**

**Ranger**

Carlos frowned slightly. He couldn't remember his Abuela ever being so angry, not even when he came to live with her after getting out of juvie. She had softened slightly when he mentioned marriage, but she was still glowering at him from across the room.

He thought back to that night three months ago. He was home on leave after getting accepted into Ranger training, and his grandmother had invited family and friends over to celebrate. He'd known Rachel and her family for years, but had never really paid much attention to her. That night, they had both been drinking. His uncle Rico had been making his special Mojitos, and everyone was dancing. The rum had made Rachel brave enough to ask him to dance. He'd put out his cigarette, and pulled her onto the dance floor. They had danced together for nearly an hour, and then he'd pulled her into the shadows and kissed her. Her eager response had encouraged him, and he asked her if she wanted to go for a moonlight swim. She nodded, and they had slipped away from the party. She had been hesitant to undress at first, but soon she had joined him naked in the warm ocean water. The kisses and caresses had become more intense, and neither of them considered precautions. Later, he'd been horrified to discover that she had been a virgin. He promised to stay in touch, but warned her that Ranger school was very intense, and he probably wouldn't have much personal time. His original intention had been to call her a few times, then gradually disappear from her life. His grandmother's urgent phone call had changed that.

So, here he sat, waiting his turn to go before the Justice of the Peace. Rachel's parents were their only other witnesses. He cut a sideways glance at Rachel, but she still had her head down. She'd barely looked at him when he proposed to her, in front of her parents. She had only nodded mutely. There was no time for a formal wedding. Her family would let it be known that they had eloped, and she would be returning to Fort Benning, Ga with him.

He supposed it was the speed with which everything was happening, but Rachel didn't look at him the same way she had at the party. When she'd opened the door to him this morning, she had looked at him with shock and ....fear? He thought back to the last time she'd seen him, and realized that he had probably lost 20 pounds during training. No wonder she had been surprised.

The clerk called his name, and they went into the office. Twenty minutes later, he was a married man with a baby on the way. Her family hugged her awkwardly and shook his hand, then quickly left. His grandmother hugged him, and gave him a slight smile. "Be good, Carlito. Take care of your wife and your baby." Then she was gone.

Rachel didn't speak as they went out to the rental car. She seemed to shrink away from him as he helped her into the front seat. He slid behind the wheel and glanced over at her.

"You okay?"

She nodded, sneaking a quick peek at him, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Carlos shrugged. "It's not your fault. We'll just have to deal with it."

Rachel looked at him then, and spoke hesitantly. "Carlos. I'm not sure if I can do this. You're different."

He looked over at her. "Different?"

She nodded, and took a deep breath. "When I opened the door. I did not see Carlos. I saw the Ranger. You are not the same boy I danced with. You have changed, and I'm frightened by those changes."

Carlos glanced at himself in the rearview mirror, and saw a pair of hard eyes looking back at him. He looked over at Rachel, and realized that she was right. He had changed. The street punk was turning into a machine. It wouldn't be fair for her to be married to a machine.

"I will take care of you and the baby, but I think you're right. I don't think that I'm someone you would be comfortable being married to. Whenever you're ready, you can leave me and I won't stop you. If you ever need anything, you can call on me. I can give you financial support, but not emotional."

Rachel smiled at him for the first time. "Thank you Carlos. I will go home in a few days, and tell them it will never work out. We have the marriage license, so my child will have a name. I will make sure that your Abuela is part of his or her life, no matter what happens between us."

Carlos smiled briefly. "She'll like that. Thank you, Rachel."

They rode in silence the rest of the way to Georgia. Each thinking of how their lives were going to be changed. Rachel's hand rested lightly on her stomach, and from time to time she rubbed it. Carlos thought about how sweet she was, and felt guilty that he had taken advantage of her innocence.

Her remark about the changes in him had started his mind on a different track. He'd just finished an intensive three month course, and soon he would be deployed in trouble spots all over the world. It was the path he had chosen, but it was not the right kind of job for a family man. He'd have to be careful in the future. His chosen lifestyle wasn't one that could handle romantic relationships. It was time to shut down that part of him. Ricardo Carlos Manoso had to disappear. It was time to become The Ranger.


	2. Joe

Joe

Joe grimaced when the nurse adjusted the pulley holding up his leg cast. Damn that Stephanie Plum! Why the hell had she mowed him down in that blue behemoth? He hadn't seen her in two years. Talk about holding a grudge!

One minute, he's walking down the street, enjoying his leave, and the next he's laying on sidewalk looking up at an angry eighteen year old girl with wild hair. She was standing over him, and he had a good view up her denim miniskirt. If he hadn't been in so much pain, he would have enjoyed the site of her black lace panties.

The memory of those panties caused a reaction that he didn't want the nurse to see. He grabbed a magazine off the bedside table and put it on his lap. She glanced over at him, then grinned.

"Guess the stories about the Italian Stallion are true? I'm flattered."

He looked down, and realized that the magazine was upside down and twitching. He gave the nurse a weak smile. She was kind of cute, but she was at least 35. Too bad his leg was in a cast.

"Is it true what they say about nurses?" He grinned at her.

She smiled back, and moved closer. "Depends. What do they say?"

"That they're very sexy. And knowledgeable about the male body."

She laughed, and turned toward the door. "Nice try, and yes it's true." She winked at him, as she left the room.

Joe smiled. Even in this stupid hospital gown, he still had the Morelli charm. The only one who seemed immune to it was Stephanie Plum.

Well, that wasn't exactly true. He thought back to a day two years ago when he'd stopped by Tasty Pastry to pick up some cannoli. Stephanie had been alone in the store, and she had looked even tastier than the pastries. He started flirting with her, and stayed to help her close up. Then, he turned on the Morelli charm, and he got lucky. He always carried protection with him, so he didn't have to worry about that. He'd been surprised to discover that he was her first, then he remembered she was jailbait, and he had already turned eighteen. He beat a hasty retreat, making the usual promise to call. He'd actually considered it, but talked himself out of it. Instead, whenever he got the urge to call, he'd write a poem on a men's room wall. His final masterpiece had been at Mario's Sub Shop. Luckily, he left a week later for the Navy and the urge to call her became a lower priority.

Joe didn't want to admit to himself how many times Stephanie had popped into his head in the past two years. He kept remembering the way she looked at him. There was something in her eyes that seemed to look deep inside him. Best to avoid her and that killer smile. Thinking about her smile made him think about her kissable mouth.

Damn! The magazine is twitching again.


	3. Stephanie

Stephanie

It's my wedding day, and I want to throw up. Who is that stranger in the mirror in the wedding gown? What am I doing? How can I marry Dickie? I don't know how to be a wife. I can't even cook. Never mind. I can learn. I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I can learn to cook or paint, or even play the cello if I wanted to. I'm from the Burg, I can do this.

I adjusted my veil, glad that it was covering my face. I didn't want anyone else to see the panic in my eyes. Valerie and Mary Lou were hovering nearby, chattering. Both of them were already married and had buns in the oven. Luckily, neither was showing, so Valerie was my matron of honor and Mary Lou was a bridesmaid. My cousins Lorene and Shirley the Whiner made up the rest of the bridal party. Shirley's wedding to Eddie Gazzara is next month, and I already had my ugly bridesmaid dress for that one.

I took a deep breath. I can do this. It doesn't matter if every time Dickie kisses me I pretend that it's Joe Morelli. The last time I saw Joe, was when I ran over him two years ago. It was unlikely that he harbored any romantic feelings for me after that incident. I'm sure, in time, that I'll stop comparing every man I meet to Joe Morelli. After all, I'm getting married to a lawyer. He's smart and good-looking. What more could I ask for?

I hear the music starting, and finally tune in to Val and Mary Lou. I let them guide me into place, and I take my father's arm. I scan the church as I wait my turn to follow the bridesmaids down the aisle. On the bride's side, the pews are packed with assorted Plums and Mazurs. Yuck! There's my slimy cousin, Vinnie. I heard his father in law, Harry the Hammer is backing him in some business. Knowing Vinnie, it's probably shady or pornographic. I turn my attention to the groom's side, and look at the assorted Orrs. I never noticed how poorly the Orr men age. Uh-oh. Forget it, Steph. You love Dickie, right?

I keep scanning the groom's side, and suddenly my blood freezes. Who the hell invited Joyce Barnhart to my wedding? This is a bad omen. Should I call the whole thing off? How the hell did I get to the front of the church? What is my father saying? Damn, he just handed me off to Dickie. Focus Steph. You can do this. Who needs Morelli?


	4. Lula

**Lula**

I was freezing by big, beautiful behind off and for what? Minimum wage and attitude from that skinny, white woman. This was the worst job yet. I couldn't even afford my own place, and my dumb ass boyfriend just got busted on a B&E. I'd have to find a new place by the end of the month.

I carried some more garbage out to the dumpster behind the store. I should be shopping in this store, not cleaning it. The back door was propped open, to carry away the smell of the floor wax.

Manuel was running the buffer, and he was in the zone. He had his earphones on, and I could see his mouth moving along with whatever Spanish stuff he was listening to.

He looked over at me, and shut off the buffer. "Hey, big girl, wanna salsa with me tonight? See what it's like with a lowrider?"

I flipped him the bird, and carried out another bag of garbage. This was no kind of work for a classy woman like me. I went back inside, and started looking through the lingerie. There had to be something for a plus sized girl here. It's not like New Jersey is famous for it's hardbodies. Fried food, donuts and beer contributed a lot to the typical Jersey shape. I was trying decide if I liked the sheer black number with rhinestones better, or the red one with the feathers, when I heard someone behind me. Uh-oh.

Sure enough, it was Miss Skeletor, frowning at me. She had her arms folded, and that look on her face.

"Lula, I'm sure I told you that the next time you were caught fondling the merchandise, instead of cleaning, that you would be fired."

Man, I hate her. I gathered together the shreds of my dignity, and looked her right in the eye.

"As a matter of fact, I have decided to pursue other opportunities, so I am resigning."

"You can't resign. You're fired."

"No. I quit."

"Fine. I accept your resignation. That way, you can't get unemployment."

Way to go Lula, now what are you going to do for money, I thought angrily. I gave her a death glare, and she backed up with a frightened look on her face. I stormed past her and got my purse, and headed to my car. It wasn't until I got there, that I realized I was still holding the lingerie. No way I was taking it back. I would consider it a bonus. It was crummy anyway. This place needed to get a new lingerie buyer. I got into my piece of junk car, and pulled out of the lot. Someday, I would drive a Firebird. A red one. Nothing but red Firebirds in my future.

I drove back over to my dumpy apartment on Stark street, and decided to go for a drink to celebrate not having to work I got dressed up in my best party outfit, strapless gold lame top and black leather miniskirt with three inch red high heels. I was smoking hot. Maybe I could find a new boyfriend with his own place.

As soon as I walked into the bar, my friend, Jackie spotted me and called me over. I squeezed through the crowd, and sat down next to her.

"What's up, Jackie?"

"I quit my cleaning job last week."

"What a coincidence. I quit my job today too. Have you got a line on anything new?"

"Yeah, my connection hooked me up with a new gig."

"Jackie, you're not dealing are you? You know that shit's dangerous."

"Nope. I got a much better way of making money, and so do you."

"What are you babbling about? What better way to make money?"

"You're sitting on it."

I looked at her with a confused look on my face. She winked at me, then opened her purse. It was stuffed with twenty dollar bills. There must have been a couple of hundred dollars in there.

"That's what I made tonight. It was getting cold, so I decided to come in here and get something to warm me up. Standing on corners can be thirsty work." She grinned at the dawning comprehension on my face.

"Meet me on the corner tomorrow night at dusk. Wear something sexy and I'll show you the ropes. Unless you prefer to starve or keep cleaning up other people's messes."

I thought about it for a minute, and then I decided to give it a try. Why not? I liked men, and I had a good imagination. I could pretend I was with Denzel or one of them fine football players. If nothing else, I'd pretend their privates were puppets or something. After all, I'd been giving it away for dinner or a place to stay for years. This way, I'd be the one calling the shots in my life.

Jackie was watching my face, and she could tell that I was going to agree.

"Are we gonna do this?" she asked.

"Damn skippy."


	5. Tank

**Tank**

The tall, gangly soldier sighed inwardly. Why was he the only one that the Drill Sargent called by his first name? Everyone else was Evans, Janocek, Manoso, but whenever it was his turn Sarge drawled out Peee-Air. He tried not to show that it bothered him, but the rest of the squad had quickly picked up on it, and always called him by his hated first name, Pierre. The only one who didn't was the quiet Hispanic guy, Manoso.

Pierre heard a noise behind him, and saw that Manoso had come into the weight room and started working out. They weren't exactly friends, but they both spent a lot of time in the weight room, trying to bulk up their slender frames. He was tall enough that he was going to be massive once he finished bulking up, but Manoso was somehow more menacing. It was something about the way he moved with a cat like stealth and the same kind of confidence as a jungle cat. Pierre nodded at him, and continued his workout.

After about half an hour, Manoso walked over and asked him if he could spot him during his benchpress. Pierre grunted an affirmative and followed him over. He was secretly impressed at how strong this guy was. He was going to make a helluva Ranger. The whole squad was supposed to start training the next day. Tonight was their last night to blow off some steam. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go, but he needed to get off the base for a while.

Manoso finished, and then spotted him while he did his reps. Neither of them spoke, but the silence was not strained. They seemed to be in sync somehow. As he was leaving, Manoso said, "See you tonight." Pierre knew then that he would join the rest of the squad.

Later, as they sat around a table, drinking beer, he and Manoso were the only ones who weren't telling off color jokes and bragging about how tough they were. Finally, one of the biggest loudmouths looked at Manoso, and said, "Who's your buddy going to be for the survival course?"

Pierre was surprised when Manoso cut his eyes to him, and jerked his chin in his direction. He felt a quick burst of pride, but was too shy to say anything. Then that jerk, Markowitz, had to put his two cents in.

"You're going to team up with Pee-Air? Aren't you afraid he'll eat you if you can't find any forage? Plus, he's so big, he'll be hard to hide."

Manoso smiled, "That's the point. When you are built like a tank, you don't need to hide. Let other people get out of your way. Who better to watch your back." He looked over at the stunned soldier, and said, "Right, Tank. Rangers don't need to hide."

Tank nodded, a big grin forming on his face. No one was ever going to call him Pierre again.


	6. Joyce

**Joyce**

I can't believe that ditzy Plum is finally getting married. All of her attendants are already married, and unless I'm wrong, they all have buns in the oven. Idiots. Not wanting rugrats is what did in my first marriage. Still, he did pay for the boob job and I got a nice house out of it. Not bad for an eighteen month investment of time. Unlike that stupid Plum chick. Dickie might be good looking, but he was still paying off law school loans. Serves her right if she has to keep working at that stupid underwear job.

I have hated her since I first laid eyes on her in grade school. She was skinny, with lots of curly brown hair and blue eyes. She always seemed to be in her own little world. I wanted to make sure that she knew who ran the playground. I was bigger than the rest of the girls, and none of them were brave enough to disagree with me, except for her. No matter what I did, she never let me intimidate her, and I hated her for it.

On the plus side, making her life miserable made school a lot more entertaining. She never knew how to fight back. Too much daydreaming. Well, I heard that Dickie has an eye for the ladies, so maybe I can do something about that. It would serve Plum right. She still owes me, because of her, only one guy ever slipped through my fingers, and that was Joe Morelli. Actually, it was kind of insulting that he didn't give me a tumble. It's not like he was discriminating. I had it on good authority that he wrote a poem in the men's room about the blushing bride.

The first time, was still in high school. I had finally lost all my baby fat, and my teeth were straight. I knew what boys liked, and I had heard that Morelli was good. He'd finally broken up with Terry Gilman, and I was ready to make my move. I spotted him heading into the Tastykake bakery, and I decided to "ambush" him when he came out. Next thing I knew, the closed sign went up, and he didn't come out. I peeked in the window, and he was behind the eclair case, kissing Stephanie Plum. Within minutes, he'd pulled her down behind the case. I couldn't keep standing there, so I retreated across the street and watched the store. After about half an hour, Morelli headed out and Stephanie walked to the door. She watched his retreating back, and she had a strange look on her face. Holy crap! This must have been her first time.

Morelli left for the Navy a couple of days later, so I never got another chance. He came back on leave right after my fiancé had sprung for my new cleavage. I was coming out of a store, when I spotted him just ahead of me. Luckily, I was wearing a low cut top and tight shorts. He wouldn't be able to ignore me this time. I smiled, and headed for him, already planning my next move. I was about about ten feet from him, when a blue and white behemoth crashed onto the sidewalk and ran him down. I could tell his leg was broken, and I'm no Nurse Nancy, so I held back. Who should get out of the car, but that maniac Plum? She ran him down on purpose. It's like she was deliberately ruining my plans.

Morelli's back in Trenton now, but he's a rookie cop. There's no money in that, and I'm not going to waste this boob job on just any boob. The five year plan is to keep marrying up. Victim number two is already in my sites. He's not very good looking, but he's loaded. Once I've got him, he's going to have to pay to get loose. I'm too much woman for most men, plus, I get bored easily.

Maybe I'll give Dickie a tumble. He sure wouldn't say anything to my boyfriend, since it's one of his firm's best clients. This would kill two birds with one stone, fun and revenge. What would really be fun would be for her to catch us. What better way to get through this boring wedding than thinking up my revenge. I must have been smiling, because Sugar Daddy leaned over and whispered, "You must really enjoy weddings." I gave him a look that I knew would stir him up, "I think I'd enjoy a honeymoon with you." His eyes widened, and I knew I had him then, just had to reel him in. I guess I'll have to put Dickie on the back burner for a while. But not forever. Stephanie Plum will get what's coming to her, or my name isn't Joyce Barnhart.


	7. Connie

**Connie**

I rolled my eyes at Mrs. Dubowitz's back. She was always complaining about something, and she kept sticking me with most of the work. My job title is file clerk, but I'm already writing bonds, whenever Mr and Mrs Dubowitz want a break. I had to cover nights and weekends, and my raise had been minscule. I'm practically running the whole office by myself, and still getting paid like a file clerk. Tomorrow, I start looking for a new job. These cheapskates are making me crazy. I'm barely making ends meet on my current pittance.

Vinnie Plum walked into the office and handed me a body receipt.

"How's it shaking, hot stuff?" He leered, eyes heading straight to my cleavage.

I raised one eyebrow, and said, "So, all set for your wedding? I hear that Harry the Hammer is going all out for his only daughter."

Vinnie's eyes quickly went to my face, and his leer changed to an oily smile.

"Yeah, it's going to be a real big deal. Are you going to be able to make it this weekend? There's going to be a band and an open bar."

I smiled back at him. "I wouldn't miss it. Maybe I'll find a new boyfriend."

Vinnie had tried to make the moves on me when I first started working, but had stopped pretty quickly once he realized that my uncle was a business associate of his girlfriend's father. He's actually a pretty good bond enforcement agent, and he sometimes asked my advice on how to treat his girlfriend. My advice had paid off, and now he was marrying into a family with some serious money. I had a feeling that despite his facade, Vinnie really does care about Lucille. He was a slimeball, but hey, this is Jersey. He's no different than any of the other Italian men in the Burg. That's one reason I don't have a boyfriend. I don't want to end up like my mother and my aunts. I want to be independent, and live my own life. These Burg guys all expect you to stay home and pop out babies, while they're out carousing. I'm related to most of them, except for the Morellis and Mancusos and you'd have to be crazy to marry into that family. I went to high school with Joe Morelli. He was hot, but he was a typical Morelli. Trouble with a capital T. Best to stay clear of them. They'll break your heart.

Vinnie looked around, to see if anyone was within earshot, then leaned over my desk and whispered. "I need to talk to you about a business proposition. Can I buy you lunch?"

I hesitated. Surely he wasn't going to come on to me after inviting me to his wedding? Even Vinnie wasn't that big of a jerk. Besides, if he paid for lunch, it would help me stretch my paycheck out for an extra day. I could take half of it home for dinner tonight.

"Sure. Let me get my purse, and tell Mrs. Dubowitz."

Two hours later, I was back at my desk, typing up a letter of resignation. Vinnie was going into business for himself, backed by his future father in law. He'd shown me the office space he'd rented and asked me to be his office manager. He gave me a company credit card, and asked me to get everything set up while he was on his two week honeymoon.

Office manager! And the increase in pay should be enough to let me buy my own place. No more penny pinching, no more skipping lunch, and best of all, no more Mrs. Dubowitz.

Look out world, Connie Rosolli is going to be in charge now. First thing I'm going to do is find a file clerk. I'll never have to file again!


	8. Eddie

**Eddie**

Why is Stephanie is going to marry that fathead, Dickie Orr? He always acts so superior whenever we all go out for pizza and a beer. At least I knew what I was getting into, when I proposed to Shirley. Sure, she has a tendency to whine a bit, but she has a good heart. Besides, she's got a reason, now that she has morning sickness. Good thing the wedding is already scheduled for next month. This won't be the first "premature" Burg baby.

I watched my future wife fondly. Man, her breasts were really starting to get big. Of course, the rest of her will be growing as well. Still, I prefer her real woman's body to the artificial one of Barnyard Barnhart. She isn't the fat bully from grade school anymore, but she still isn't my favorite person. I can just imagine Steph's reaction if she spots her. Maybe she'll get in a fight with her and the wedding won't happen. I wish.

Here comes Valerie, to join Shirley and Mary Lou at the front of the church. Got to hand it to these Burg girls, they're a fertile bunch. Wonder if Steph will have a baby by this time next year? They say the first year of marriage is the hardest, but I'm not worried. Of course, I've been dating Shirley since junior year of high school, so I pretty much knew what I was getting into.

Steph should be along any minute. Wow, she looks really good. Uh-oh. Smoke is coming out of her ears. She must have spotted Joyce. The only other person who ever pissed her off that much was Joe Morelli, and I didn't see him here. I doubt Dickie knows him, except maybe from court, if he has to testify against some perp he arrested, and for sure, Mrs. Plum wouldn't invite him. She's been warning Steph against him since first grade. Am I the only one who ever figured out that telling Stephanie not to do something is the quickest way to get her to do it?

Shirley sure looks pretty. Oh, she noticed me looking at her. I love that secret smile of hers. I wonder if things are going to change much after the baby? Hopefully, I'll make enough as a cop that she won't have to work full-time anymore. I wonder who the baby will look like?

The priest is almost to the part about anyone objecting. Would Steph kill me if I stood up now? Probably not, but her mother would.

Too late, missed my chance. Oh well, it's in God's hands now. If it was anyone but Stephanie, I'd think it might work out. I just don't think Dickie is right for her. First of all, what kind of stupid name is Dickie? And second, I don't think he understands Steph at all. She's got a helluva temper. I wonder if he knows about her running down Joe Morelli a few years ago. Nope, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes if he ever makes her mad. I could easily envision her trying to choke him to death.

The vision of Steph's hands around Dickie's neck kept a smile on my face all the way through the receiving line. "Congratulations, Dickie. Hope you know what you signed up for." I started laughing out loud at the puzzled look on his face. Steph kicked me in the shin, but that only made me laugh harder. Hungarian/Italian temper versus whining? No contest. At least I'd never have to worry about Shirley trying to kill me.

I give it a year. Tops.


End file.
